A development model of 100 flats in London estimates that the government adds £442,000 (57%) to the £775,000 sale price of each new flat.
£195,000 for subsidized housing for people who cannot afford to live in London.
£89,000 for mandatory building requirements.
£62,000 for planning costs.
£96,000 for taxes, levies and funding delays.
The actual build costs just £178,000 per flat.
Buyers pay more to subsidize someone else's housing than it costs to build their own.
How is this supposed to make housing available?
Source: Center for Policy Studies, Easing the Burden (2026), by Edward Donovan and Ben Hopkinson.